Description
Benjamin LaBarge (No Thanks, Homeboys, Johnny) grew up in Hayward, California, in the 1960s to early 1970s where he developed a love for music at a very young age. Benjamin started out in the band No Thanks, a band he joined several music competition with. However it was in the late 70s when the band brought in bassplayer Keith Bellino that they decided to change name to The Jets. The band played a lot of covers but laid down a three track demo with own material in in the summer of 1978. Things started to move and when they were going to be interviewed and played on the New Oasis Radio Show they found out that there already was a band called The Jets. So Benjamin announced the act as Bennie on the show, a name that shocked the rest of the band. After a band meeting they came up with Bennie And The Jets. At the beginning of 1980 they got together to record another three track demo. In the summer of 1980 they went in for another studio session. The band recorded songs such as New York – L.A, Say It Again, Lipstick And Leather and Do You Know, the two last tracks would become hits by the band Y&T on their In Rock We Trust album four years later. In 2022, David Meniketti had a few words to say about Ben and the songs he selected to record that were originally written and recorded by Bennie And The Jets; In those early days of making a name for Y&T and playing around the East Bay, we met and became acquaintances with numerous local musicians who were playing a similar style. I remember a few musicians stood out. Bennie LaBarge was one of those. He had a great energy and presence about him and a sense of melody that made him a standout from many of the other guitarists and musicians in our local area. When writing for our In Rock We Trust album in 1984, I believe it was Joey Alves, our rhythm guitarist, who brought to the studio a cassette of several songs that Bennie had written for his own band. Two of those songs were Lipstick And Leather and Do You Know. The band, along with our co-writer for that record, felt strongly that with some changes Y&T could make them something that would fit in nicely with our style. We spent several weeks tweaking the lyrics, arranging, and composing new parts to put our Y&T stamp on those two songs. Hence Lipstick and Leather and I’ll Keep on Believing (Do You Know) were then included on our release, and have become a solid part of the tunes that Y&T fans have enjoyed over the decades.When Bennie And The Jets played the Starwood in Los Angeles they gave Motley Crue some competition. They tried to get a record deal and several management and labels said that Motley Crue had the the looks, but Bennie And The Jets had the songs. And it was a few months later when the band fell apart that Ben were contacted by Y&T to sell the rights to two of his tracks. In the end Ben was grateful and proud that two songs that he had written were now published on a major label. Ben formed Homeboys with Y&T drummer Leonard Haze but since Haze was so occupied with Y&T the band fell apart within a year and the new band Johnny was born. Sadly, in March of 2020, Benjamin LaBarge passed away. This album is in the memory if this great musician and here you can hear so much more than just the original versions of the Y&T classics.
Track list:
1. Lipstick And Leather
2. Say It Again (Tonight)
3. New York – L.A.
4. Do You Know
5. Me And My Car
6. Boys With Bangs
7. Moi Emmoretta
8. Midnight Rendezvous
9. Babys On The Run
10. Jet Aged Baby
11. The Way It Goes-demo
12. Reveries-live
13. You’re So Easy-live
14. Give It A Try-live
15. Let Me Drive-live
16. Two To Tango-live
17. Get Up And Dance-live
18. Goodbye Goodbye-live